‘Dancing With the Stars’ TV Recap: Who Danced It Best?

No, no, NeNe. You won’t be drinking from the cup of dancing anymore. On Latin Week, with guest judge and musical performer Ricky Martin in the house, NeNe Leakes and partner Tony Dovolani became the latest casualties on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Their Team Vida teammates – James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd and, absurdly, Charlie White and Sharna Burgess – were in jeopardy. NeNe was the weakest of the dancers left, and it was a marvel she hadn’t been eliminated the week before in the fallout of an unflattering video package with Tony in which she walked out on him. NeNe says she is proud of herself for competing with Olympians each week.

Meanwhile, when Candace Cameron Bure and Mark Ballas, who had been in jeopardy the previous two weeks, were declared safe, the moment was one of pure joy. She shrieked, and he picked her up and spun her around.

One of the bigger stories of the evening early on was how Danica McKellar’s fractured rib would affect her dancing, an injury she incurred Thursday while practicing a tricky lift for a salsa. Danica’s partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, was pretty downbeat, blaming himself for the choreography. (Kind of brings to mind Week 2, when Val was dinged for making a routine too complex.) We even got to see X-rays of Danica’s rib.

More from the Injury Beat: This week also featured the team dances, and once again, the Olympic ice-dance darlings were rivals. However, Team Loca had to be judged on footage of dress rehearsal rather than the live show because Amy Purdy went to the hospital after injuring her back. Use of dress-rehearsal footage rather than live dancing has happened only once before this, in Season 8 when Melissa Rycroft got hurt between the rehearsal and the live show.

Despite the use of video footage, Team Loca beat the live-dancing Team Vida, so Meryl Davis bested Charlie – but really, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that any team with Derek Hough will win this thing. (It’s so foregone that I must confess I wrote this paragraph before the group dances even began.)

Mr. Martin takes to the stage at the top of the show with a song from the official 2014 World Cup album. All the pros and Troupe members join him. Ricky has some high black high-tops paired with shiny white jeans. Can’t say I love the fashion choice, but he looks happy to be there. Actually, after seeing what some people have on tonight (NeNe, Danica, Meryl), Ricky’s outfit isn’t so bad. He tells Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews he’s looking for entertainment, passion, focus and engagement in the dancing.

Amy and Derek, who often are on the back end of the show, begin the competition portion this week with a rumba to “Light My Fire.” She’s crying a lot, but it’s not because of physical limitations. She’s weepy about “challenges at home” in her long-term relationship. (Her boyfriend is in the ballroom Monday.) Derek overacts in a goofy way to cheer her up, kind of like an animated Disney sidekick. Although they don’t use a lot of the floor, the space they use is employed to maximum effect. Amy wears a sheer long skirt that allows viewers to appreciate how she uses her body. The poses are gorgeous, fluid and sensual, and it’s one of the show’s better matches of song and dance. Amy’s foot comes off the floor at one point. Was that deliberate, and will Carrie Ann excuse it as she did the lifts in the waltz earlier this season? Not this time; she does call them out. Len thinks Amy and Derek were sharp, then smooth. Bruno enjoys the line of courtship. Ricky provides the first quotable line of the show, “I felt a lot of things.” Score: 36 (Carrie Ann 9, Ricky 9, Len 9, Bruno 9).

Peta promises a bit of hip-hop in her “Gasolina” samba with James. Will this cause Len to get his knickers in a bunch and to grumble about technique and messing about? Peta doesn’t answer when the off-camera voice asks if she’s dating James, and he also plays coy about their relationship. They discuss rubbing up against each other. “Is that allowed on ABC?” James wonders drily. My 10-year-old sister is distracted by James’s boots, which she thinks hinder some of his movements. Meanwhile, from fellow recapper Kerry Grace Benn and her husband: “When Peta started taking off clothes to be in her underwear Kyle goes, ‘Oh, there’s the Peta we all know and love.’” James later takes off his shirt. And after they finish dancing, Tom says, “That’s amazing. That’s exactly what happens at the gas station I go to.” In the skybox, Erin goes on and on about the clothing, or lack thereof. Anyway, you’ll notice we’re all talking about the clothes and not the dance. That’s because the samba was more flash than content. Bruno, of course, doesn’t care and propositions them. Carrie Ann blathers about the chemistry and the way James worked Peta. (Yes, she said that.) Ricky says they were “unexpected … wow after wow.” Len laments the footwork – the clunky boots may have been a problem – and the lumpy rolls. Score: 35 (Carrie Ann 9, Ricky 9, Len 8, Bruno 9).

Surprise – “DWTS” is putting the Danica drama in the three spot rather than saving it for the end. Val is pleased he and his brother both have salsa because he wants Danica to challenge the leaderboard topper, Meryl. The Troupe joins in – is this a way to distract from Danica’s pain and any limitations she might have? It’s hard to track her at first, and this is not a very salsa-esque salsa. It’s like a Day-Glo music video. Danica’s bouncing is hesitant, the walking slow. The spins lack energy, and she and Val get tangled up in the “ghetto-fabulous salsa from the hood” (Bruno). She looks relieved to have the routine over with. Tom questions the wisdom of jumping rope with a fractured rib. Carrie Ann sighs because the injury clearly stifled the movement, particularly a problem on a dance that requires you to be so open, and the other judges have similar feedback. Ricky praises her for trying and Danica and Val for their chemistry. Score: 33 (Carrie Ann 8, Ricky 9, Len 8, Bruno 8).

Erin encourages the audience to tweet right now about whether Tony should dance with his shirt on or off. SERIOUSLY?

We learn something more important after the commercial break, namely that Amy injured her back after the rumba. She turned wrong, her back cracked, and her breathing is labored. The judges are going to judge on the footage of dress rehearsal for Team Loca.

NeNe and Tony have to do their Argentine tango, set to “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” right after learning they’re in jeopardy. NeNe gets excited about bringing another character to life, and Tony decides to incorporate several other dancers. She says she wants to work on technique now that she can entertain – so why are we focusing on a shirtless Tony and added dancers and NeNe as a lounge singer? (Side note: I cannot stand the abundance of dancers in competition routines this season.) She lumbers and half-heartedly kicks and flicks her foot during the hooks. The gold booties do not help. The judges love the character but pick apart the movements. Len wants crisper foot and leg action, and Bruno harps on the hooks. Everyone goes on about NeNe’s other personality. She has only one other personality? This is all so confusing. Score: 31 (Carrie Ann 8, Ricky 8, Len 7, Bruno 8).

Charlie and Sharna have a paso doble, and he wants some 10s as he’s slipped down the leaderboard. Charlie visits ice-dance partner Meryl for ideas, and she encourages him. This entire package is about Charlie wanting that perfect score; we barely see him dance. Does this mean the 10s are preordained? In Season 10, Evan Lysacek had one of the best pasos in “DWTS” history, and Charlie matches the intensity of his skating brethren. AWOLNATION’s “Sail” doesn’t seem like typical paso music, but it works. But argh, as for the technical quality, it’s just not sharp enough. Some of those moves look unpolished. Sharna is an excellent choreographer – she worked miracles with Andy Dick last spring – but I’ve often wondered if she’s tried to pack too much into Charlie’s routines because he’s so talented. Simplify. Let the choreography breathe. Len doesn’t think the dance was special enough for a 10. Carrie Ann thinks Charlie needs sharpness in his ending moves. Ricky says that while he sees what the judges were saying, he was blown away in the movement and with the eroticism and sensuality. A lot of booing comes from the audience with the judges’ comments. Charlie tells Erin he was disappointed because his knee caught on a flying leap. Score: 36 (Carrie Ann 9, Ricky 10, Len 8, Bruno 9). Maks interrupts Erin’s interview with Charlie to rub his chest.

We see more of Candace’s breaking down last week. Mark tells a camera man how she’s perfect in rehearsal but then forgets everything in the moment. He books her an appointment with a sports psychologist, who pinpoints Candace’s insecurities. She encourages Candace to accept her imperfections. We hear of tools the doctor gave Candace ahead of her Argentine tango, although we don’t hear what they are at the time. (Candace later tells Erin that she was told to breathe and to remember she can access her own choreography.) This Argentine tango is careful and tentative but sexy. The serious nature of the dance serves Candace and her nerves well because she has to be intense and focused, something Ricky echoes. A lot has been made about Candace’s desire not to be too revealing in her clothing because of her faith. However, she’s had some fabulous costumes this year, including a gorgeous navy number this week. Bruno and Len (and Erin) swoon over her legs. Carrie Ann was happy to see the confidence even though Candace clearly forgot a couple of steps. Score: 35 (Carrie Ann 8, Ricky 9, Len 9, Bruno 9). Erin mocks her own inability to pronounce “votes.” She’s apparently gone Canadian.

Meryl and Maks are again the last couple to dance (in this round, anyway), and they too have an injury storyline. Maks wants Meryl to “dig into the dirtiest place on earth” for this salsa, and he bluntly tells her when she isn’t doing well. Her wrist throbs, and he winces and limps at one point. More extraneous dancers! The M&M salsa looks like a leather and fishnet version of the Danica and Val salsa “video.” Meryl is more cheerleader cute than sexy star. Len doesn’t like the production, finding it hectic. Unlike me, Carrie Ann thinks Meryl was in her element. Ricky is speechless. Bruno uses the title of a Ricky song – “She Bangs” – to describe his reaction. Groan. Much is made of how Meryl is practically pro-level good. This is only going to further irritate people who think Meryl is an unfair ringer. Score: 39 (Carrie Ann 10, Ricky 10, Len 9, Bruno 10).

Time for the team dances.

First of all, Charlie chose NeNe over Candace for his team. Huh? Second, the first decision Team Vida, which is dancing to “Cup of Life,” made was to have Charlie be shirtless. Then they want to throw NeNe in the air. It’s really hard to believe Team Vida has any chance of winning when these are the decisions being made. NeNe is front and center over Sharna and Peta in the women’s section. The opening is like a pro number, with the women, then the men, then the couples in the center of the floor. As a whole, this looks like three similarly dressed couples dancing in the same space rather than a team coming together. NeNe moves her hips but doesn’t spin much. James and Peta have their solo, and it’s a lot of tricks. There’s more gazing at NeNe – there’s a LOT of NeNe in this – and then at last we see Charlie and Sharna together. The in-sync sequences are on the sloppy side. Ricky thinks it looked complicated but fun. When Len uses “cope” as his verb, you know he doesn’t have much to say. It’s surprising that Carrie Ann is the most harsh, calling James and Charlie bookends when they should have been bringing the dance together. Score: 35 (Carrie Ann 8, Ricky 10, Len 8, Bruno 9).

Next we have the dress-rehearsal footage of Team Loca, dancing to “Living La Vida Loca.” The dancing is underway before the music starts, featuring a sexy Meryl and Maks. Right away, you can tell these couples are a team, even when they’re in pairs or in their solo sections. Danica takes it easy but still shimmies. Candace looks a little careful but happy. Derek leaps over Amy, and then he twirls her to the floor and back up repeatedly. Meryl and Maks practically fly across the floor. Freestyle often goes for gimmicks over substance, but this had a lot of actual dance moves. In fact, it was one of my favorite freestyles of any season and certainly one of the better group numbers. What would the live one have been like? Tom reveals that as we were watching the taped stuff, the remaining couples were dancing live for the audience. The judges salivate at how tight the number was, although Len seems to telegraph he’ll take a point off because dress rehearsal lacks the pressure of a live show. Bruno wishes we still had a results show because this was worthy of an encore. Score: 39 (Carrie Ann 10, Ricky 10, Len 9, Bruno 10). Yes, Team Loca wins.

Readers, what did you think of Latin Night? How was Ricky as a judge? Do you dislike all the added dancers as much as I do? Is everyone else playing for second place behind Meryl? Leave your thoughts on these and other matters below.

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